"I never thought I was going to score 50 in the NBA when I got drafted" - Giannis continues his incredible streak with another scoring masterpiece
Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo continued his incredible rise to even more greatness this season, scoring 54 points to lift his squad past the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night with the final score of 106-105. With his third 50+ point game of the season, Giannis has now joined the elite zone occupied by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who achieved the feat five times during the 1971-1972 season.
“It's a great compliment to be up there with Kareem,” Antetokounmpo said. “Man, I never thought I was going to score 50 in the NBA when I got drafted. It's an insane, crazy journey.”
Carried the Bucks to the finish line
Down by as much as 21 points in the second half, Milwaukee rode the wave created by the Greek Freak, who delivered down the stretch, scoring 20 during the team's 28-point surge in the fourth quarter to help the Bucks snag the thrilling victory.
After the game, Giannis shared an idea how he might celebrate this win.
“Tomorrow I think I'm going to go to Culver's,” he said. “I'll go get 50 cheeseburgers and try to eat as many as I can. The rest, I'll have my son eat them or I give them to my dog."
On a roll
Despite the different defensive coverages the Clippers threw at him, Giannis was not fazed in his quest to get his squad the win, going 21-of-39 from the field and 10-of-15 from the free throw line. The soon-to-be seven-time All-Star also grabbed a whopping 19 rebounds.
“He's relentless,” Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “He's going to put himself in position to help us win. Whatever it takes for us to win, he's going to do it. He's fearless and relentless. That's what you saw going down the stretch.”
Giannis' 54-point performance was very close to the franchise's single-game record held by Michael Redd, who scored 57 back in 2006. Still, it was an incredible night for the 28-year-old as he continues to make his mark on NBA history.
